Sunday, April 28, 2013 – Wally’s Leg (Mile 666) to Big Tom Creek (Mile 614):

Sunset in Wally's Leg

            I woke up this morning very early to a low, guttural, growling noise somewhere outside the boat.  I hopped out of bed thinking it might be an alligator, but a quick look out the windows revealed nothing.  I quickly put on my shoes and grabbed the binoculars and camera and quietly went outside.  I didn’t see anything but the one thing that struck me was the calmness of the morning and the water.  The wind had died down some time during the night, and it was completely still.  There was not a ripple on the water, and it reflected the surrounding landscape and the clouds and the full moon that was still lounging around up in the sky.  It was striking to see the moon and sky reflected so perfectly on top of the water.

            The tide was low, and I kept searching the muddy banks for some sign of what could be making that noise as it seemed to be in more than one place.  I actually tried to “google” the noise when we anchored for the evening, but all I could come up with was an Atlantic Puffin, panther (nah…), a frog (maybe), and, of course, there were many sightings of “Bigfoot” (definitely, nah…).  So I am glad I am not making a documentary of our waterway excursion, because I am sadly lacking in facts.  It was interesting though and really held my attention as the banks were exposed.  Another “show” I got to see were two egret type birds who got into a squabble over their breakfast territory and put on quite a display defending their fishing territory.

The banks of Wally's Leg at sunrise

            It was getting to be time to use up some of the “stuff” in the refrigerator, and since we had a little bit of extra time this morning, I made a breakfast of scrambled eggs, diced ham, tomatoes and cheese, and a couple of muffins I had previously frozen for just such an occasion.  However, after breakfast, it was definitely time to get going as the tide was coming in, and it is always better to go through Georgia on a high tide!

            So we pulled up the anchor, which came up surprisingly clean and headed out of Wally’s Leg for the last time.  It might be a little disconcerting to some people to be in here as it is completely isolated, but along with the isolation comes an incomparable beauty that is hard to match as the marshy landscape changes with the tide.  As we leave we turn left and head north in the Mackay River. 

            The Mackay River runs into Buttermilk Sound (isn’t that a wonderful name), and as the wind had died down, it was a peaceful quiet boat ride through this part of Georgia’s waterway.  We pass a sailboat, then a southbound tugboat heads our way, but there is plenty of room to pass in this body of water.  We hear some radio chatter, but right now we are all alone out here.  From Buttermilk Sound you turn left into the Little Mud River, which you must go through at high tide.  This is a notoriously shallow area and even though it was high tide we saw 9’ of water at times!  This area would have been mud flats at low tide!  It is beautiful in here though and looks just like you are driving through the marsh.  Even though it is called Little Mud River, right now there is plenty of sunshine and the water sparkles.  The Little Mud River eventually flows into the North River at Mile 651, and from the North River we cross Doboy Sound and head into the Old Teakettle Creek.  It’s worth the trip just to travel on these rivers with such quaint names and wonder how they came to be named what they are.

Tugboat that passed by us

            It’s funny that there are spots we clearly remember cruising by and others that don’t seem familiar at all.  Perhaps it had to do with heart stopping moments at low tide!  As you travel through here it is funny to see boats way ahead of you that look like they have wandered off into the marshes. 

Shrimp that we passed

            We still see dolphins every day, but there have become so commonplace that I forget to mention them, but they are with us everyday – mostly they are all business about hunting for a meal and not leaping in our wake.

If the tide had gotten much higher it would have covered this mark!

            At Mile 643 we head into Creighton Narrows, which takes you into the Front River and into Sapelo River and then Sapelo Sound.  This is where we saw a fishing boat with some partying people who had run aground on Dog Hammock Spit as we were traveling south, but these folks didn’t seem to mind that they had to either wait for the tide to come up or have someone help them get off.  The weather is not as friendly as it was earlier and there is a definite demarcation line between the coffee grounds blue of the water and the sky blue gray of the sky.  It is very windy in here, and I am glad when we turn left and head into the South Newport River and up Johnson Creek.  We were going to anchor in here for the night (in Cattle Pen Creek) where we anchored on our way down here, but we had made such good time that we decided to keep going.  So we left Johnson Creek and headed into the North Newport River and then across St. Catherine’s Sound (yes, windy again!).  We turn left into Bear River, and then into Big Tom Creek where we will stay for the night.

            By now, the wind has picked up again and is blowing like a gale!  There are clouds of “mare’s tails” swishing in the sky, but they are being driven out by puffy black and white clouds.  We drop the hook and settle in.  As soon as the engines are turned off, I say, “Kitty Cat – we’re here!” and she comes scampering out to check out the view and to look for the buffet table!

Big Tom Creek on a falling tide

I think tomorrow should be an easy day, except we have to go through Hell Gate…